Homicide charge for NJ woman after 12-year-old dies in drug house

🔴 Serious charge added after overdose death

🔴 Woman was home with multiple juveniles

🔴 Police found house filled with drugs, paraphernalia

FORT LEE — Authorities upgraded charges against a 48-year-old woman who was arrested after a child in her care died from a suspected drug overdose.

Frances Caso is now facing first-degree aggravated manslaughter.

She was already hit with multiple drug and child abuse charges after the death of a 12-year-old girl, who first responders found in a house littered with drugs and paraphernalia.

Police responded to a 911 call from the Maple Street residence on May 25 and rushed the unconscious girl to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Caso was initially charged with second-degree child endangerment, three counts of third-degree child endangerment, two counts of third-degree drug possession, and fourth-degree drug paraphernalia possession.

In addition to the 12-year-old girl who died, Caso was in the home with three other juveniles, police said.

Bergen County said investigators found "multiple" suspected drugs but did not elaborate.